If you don’t have culinary affection for fried quail and peanuts, you might not enjoy spending time in the town of Blakely, population 5,000.
There is a plethora of other dining choices, but fried Bobwhite quail and a container of boiled peanuts are always making somebody’s day in this agri-business hotspot.
Blakely is known as the “Peanut Capital of the world,” which certainly is apropos. Early County grows more peanuts than any county in the nation, but there’s a lot more to appreciate about Early County and Blakely, its county seat, including the ultimate in down-home hospitality, a courthouse square that reminds you of the one in Oxford, Miss., and a citizenry that brings food to wakes, shares vegetables with friends and neighbors, and practices the Golden Rule.
Today, the rich soil in Early produces in addition to peanuts, cotton, grain, and corn. And as mentioned, it’s also a quail country. There is the “Quail Motel” on Smith Avenue, but when you’re downtown you likely will move about, at some point at least, on Bob White Avenue.
Any reference to Bobwhite brings about the recall of two South Georgia hunters bragging about their bird dogs, one adamant he had a bird dog with “the best nose there ever was.” To substantiate his claim, he put down his tailgate and set his English Pointer free, whereupon the bird dog circled the block and came to a sudden stop.
He pointed his nose at a young boy – in that classic stance – stiffly erect with his tail pointed firmly upward and his left front leg stylishly folded under his breast.
“Look at that,” the proud owner exclaimed.
His companion scoffed at the scene and said, “That doesn’t mean nothing, that dog is pointing that boy.”
The bird dog’s owner then advised, “Come with me.”
He went over and began interrogating the boy in the street.
“Son, you have a bird in your pocket?” The kid shook his head. “No sir, I don’t.”
The bird dog owner then asked, “You been quail hunting today? Had your hands on a quail bird?” The answer was a convincing, “No sir.”
The dog’s owner wasn’t finished. “Son, what’s your name?” The kid answered, “Bob.” Then, he was asked, “Well, what’s your last name?”
“White.” The kid smiled.
You hear stories like that in towns such as Blakely, where quail hunting is very important – as much for the emotional benefits as anything of economic value. The two major sporting interests in deep South Georgia are quail hunting and Georgia football.
Everybody loves the Dawgs and the dogs, as in bird dogs. Bumper stickers, painted mailboxes, and yard signs confirm the Georgia connection. The abundance of quail plantations is as prevalent as caps sporting the red-and-black Georgia “G.”
My first quail hunt was in Blakely. I came as the guest of a grand gentleman by the name of S.G. (Guy) Maddox, who owned the cotton gin, the First State Bank, and with son-in-law Bill Young, of Lexington, Ky., developed Jif peanut butter.
As the guest of Lynwood Anglin, David Atkins, and the Methodist Men’s Ministry, I spent the night in the former home of Maddox, which the bank uses as a guest house for business friends and customers. Maddox was the first $500 contributor to the athletic scholarship fund at Georgia. That was a big deal in his day. In UGA’s as well.
I had stayed in that same house for a quail hunt in the late ‘60s along with Georgia baseball coach and one of Maddox’s best friends, Jim Whatley.
We quail hunted with Jack Clifton, who was a local baseball player of repute.
My sojourn here was a flashback to an era of good times.
After visiting with longtime friends Nelson and Libby Hattaway, who have spent much time in Athens over the years, I was up early the next morning for a down home breakfast with Brad Hughes, publisher of the very successful Early County News, at Smitty’s restaurant, where chef-owner, Trey Harrell will make your day with the best down home breakfast you will find in the peanut capital of the world.
I also met up with Al Hutchins, a former assistant to Maddox, who remains employed by the bank to oversee the old homestead. Hutchins is a member of the city council and enjoys great memories of his days with Maddox.
“This October will be 54 years that I worked for that man and his family,” Hutchins said. “Nobody ever treated me better than S.G. Maddox. He was good to his employees, and he was good to his friends and neighbors.”
And in Blakely/Early County, those altruistic qualities are as traditional as Bobwhite quail and boiled peanuts.